The known technology for manufacturing a colored synthetic resin article having a pattern consisting of a plurality of different colors includes a process comprising blending two kinds of dye- or pigment-containing resins varying in melt viscosity and molding the blend and a process comprising incorporating a dye or pigment in an olefinic resin and another dye or pigment in a resin incompatible with the olefinic resin, such as a polyester, MMA, polysulfone or other resin, and molding these resins together. However, since the patterns of the molded articles obtained by these processes are comprised of the conventional dyes or pigments, they are invariably prosaic and deficient in fashionableness and functionality, thus being of no satisfactory market value. Furthermore, when such a blend of olefinic resin and incompatible resin is used, the resultant article consisting of different types of resins has the disadvantage of inadequate elongation, impact strength and/or other physical properties.
Recently, attempts have been made to manufacture a shaped article the overall color of which may change reversibly according to change in ambient temperature or available light quantity from a synthetic resin containing a thermo- or photochromic substance. However, there is not known a method for manufacturing a shaped article which changes in color reversibly and selectively in the areas forming the pattern. Thus, synthetic resin articles with greater aesthetic values and improved marketability have been demanded.
The object of the present invention is to provide a reversibly variable color patterning composition which can be used with advantage for forming figurative or other patterns which change in color reversibly on shaped synthetic resin articles.